Virginia Premier Health Plan, a Medicaid managed care organization owned by UHS Managed Care, is now using a web-based tool to access patient information.

VPHP was formed in 1995 to coordinate health care for the state’s low-income individuals and operates in eight counties in central, eastern, western and southwestern Virginia out of its Richmond, Va., office. UHS Managed Care is the health plan division of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System.

Cambridge, Mass.-based NaviNet has partnered with VPHP to offer its web-based provider communications portal. To reduce costs associated with provider call volume and to improve satisfaction among its providers, VPHP announced it has deployed eligibility and benefits and claim status inquiry transactions through NaviNet Sponsor to its providers treating more than 160,000 individuals enrolled in the plan.

Later this year, the communications firm will also support electronic pre-authorization and referrals, replacing VPHP’s existing solution and enabling the plan to meet state requirements for electronic processing.

NaviNet said its multi-payer portal is in use by more than 17,000 Virginia providers, many of whom treat VPHP members. As a result, the plan expects to see rapid provider adoption and utilization.

“At Virginia Premier we pride ourselves in being extremely provider-friendly and will offer NaviNet at no cost to providers to help them decrease administrative burdens and focus on delivering quality care to a vulnerable patient population,” said Carl Gattuso, CEO of the health plan division for VCU Health System, in a statement. “NaviNet Sponsor fits naturally into common provider office processes, is easy-to-use and allows us to represent our brand among a key constituent.”